Karl Lagerfeld is to launch two collections soon. First one, named ‘Karl’ is affordable and will launch online on the luxury retail site Net-a-Porter. The rock-and-roll-inspired line of clothing will be available online only since January 25, 2012. The second one, entitled Paris—Bombay strikes imagination with luxurious items.
Photo: Karl Lagerfeld with the model Stella Tennant at his Paris-Bombay show.
Photograph: Eric Ryan/WireImage
The Paris—Bombay collection features pearl-beaded Nehru-collared jackets layered over sari-draped dresses and slim leather churidar trousers. The use of Bombay rather than Mumbai is deliberate: in his dreams Lagerfeld imagines India imperial, rather than Bollywood.
In an article about the new collections The Guardian called Lagerfeld the “Mad Hatter” of our days for his eccentric style and fantasy. Lagerfeld created the Indian-style collection, though he had never been to India. «Fantasy is often better than reality,» he explained. «It’s much more inspiring not to go to places than to go,» he said.
The online collection ‘Karl’ was announced by Lagerfeld, who is also the French fashion house Chanel’s creative director, and Net-a-Porter founder and executive chairman Natalie Massenet on stage at the Le Web conference in Paris last week.
Both sides, Karl Lagerfeld and Net-a-Porter make significant investments into the project but the sums are not disclosed. Net-a-Porter will be the exclusive carrier of the new collection, which consists of 70 pieces. Prices are democratic and range from $95 to $450.
Net-a-Porter has already carried a label exclusively including exclusive lines by Victoria Beckham and Matthew Williamson, though the partnership with Lagerfeld is the largest of this kind. The collection will debut at Couture Fashion Week in Paris on January 25, changing the policies of the traditional retail cycle—consumers will be able to purchase the entire collection in the same month it’s shown, rather than six months later.
Earlier this year, the designer created a Diet Coke limited-edition bottle.
